Connecting bar



Jan. a1, 1928,

W. WRIGHT CONNECTING BAR Filed Aug. 15, 1925 Patented Jan. 31, 1928.

UNITEDVISTATES PATENT OFFICEr WILLIAM WRIGHT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR r E. rAYsoN- SMITH, or

SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS. W A r CONNECTING BAR.

Application filed August 15, 1925. Serial No. 50,529.

My invention relates to connecting bars employed, more especially, in connecting the brake levers of railway trucks, or for, use as push rods for brake cylinders and other similar purposes; the invention relating to the construction'of a connecting bar and more specifically to the formation of the pin eyes or holes where the greatestamount of wear is encountered. That is to say, my invention has for its object the provision of independent bearing surfaces or bushings for the pins, 7 whereby the bar is connected to the usual brake operating mechanism or other supporting elements, in order that these bearingsurfaces or bushingsafter same have become worn may be readily removed and renewed, therebyobviating the necessity for renewing the entire bar as, however, is the case with"connectingrbars as at present employed. I j

The construction of truck lever connectlons or connecting bars as light as possible,

commensurate with the strength necessary for compressionfbars'of this-type, has been the object of recent developments. Asa result, bars of the type in question have fre' quently been made of pressed orsheet metal steel, given various configurations or shapes in cross section in order to provide a maxi- 39 mum of strength and stiffness so as to withstand the compression strains and stresses. Making the bars of comparatively thin metahresults in the bifurcated or forked ends having too little 'metal'where the pin holes 5 are provided and where wear is encountered by the frictional engagement with the pins. In pract ce it has been found that the pin receiving holes soon become enlarged which results in undue play and lost motion and also often resulting in breakage at these points, especially with constructions where themetal has been up-set or drawn about the holes in an effort to provide larger bearing surfaces for the pins than would be afforded a by the normal thickness of the bifurcated portions of the bar; such constructions resulting inan attentuation of the portions in termediate of the holes.

The purpose of myinvention is to enable 0 the use of connecting bars which are comparatively light in weight (a desideratum in present railway 'constructlon) butwhich possess strength and rigidity and at the same time are reenforced at the pin receiving holes. to withstand the strains and stresses, but

which reenforcement may be removed and renewed when occasion requires without, however, requiring renewal of the entire con-' necting bar, with the result that the life of connectingbars involving my invention 1s greatly enhanced; 7

The objects and advantages of my invention will be fully comprehended from the following detailed description of the drawing. wherein-- Figure 1 is a side view ofa connecting bar embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view of one end of my improved bar. i

Figure 3 is a perspectiveview of one end thereof. r

Figure 4 is a plan view of one end of a blank from which the bar is-formed,na mely before the blank is shaped into the desiredcross-sectional configuration. i

Figureh is a cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 5-5of Figure 1 looking in the direction of thearrows.

Figure 6 is a cross sectional viewtaken on theline 66 of Figure 1 looking in the di rection of the arrows. 7 Figure 7 is a side view of a modified form of my improved connectingbar. I V

Figure -8 is a detail'sectional view illus trating a. modification of the renewal bearing member or bushing. i Figure 9 is a similarview illustrating another modified formof bearing member or bushing. i i

In the particular exemplilication of my invention as disclosed in the first six figures of the drawing, the connecting barconsists of steel or other suitable metal and having'i,

cross sectional configuration when formedinto shape adapted toprovide rigidity, the bar being preferably given the channel for-j mation more clearly shown in Figure 3. The bar is preferably formed from a metal plate or blank'shown at 11 in Figure 4;, of requisite length and width, with both ends of the blank slit or cut away as at 12 to provide the bifurcations o1- ears 13,13.

The ears 13 are all provided with suitably spaced hole-s 1 1 (any desired number) with the holes in the two ears at each end ofthe blankarranged to be in alignment or register when the blank has been pressedor formed into a completed bar. *The holes 14: are so arranged with respect to the marginal MAN shown at 15, see

edges of the blank, that the marginal edges of the bifurcations or cars, like the marginal longitudinal edges of the main portion of the blank may be turned or flanged as Figure 3. The flanges are preferably formed to be in opposition, namely disposed inwardly toward each other as shown: it being understood that both marginal edges of each ear or projection 13 is similarly flanged, thereby giving the cars strength and rigidity. The metal at the base of the slit 12 is also preferably upset. so as to constitute a continuation of the flange 15 of the ears about the base of the slits as shown in dotted lines at 16 in Figure 2.

lVith the blank formed in the manner shown and described, it is apparent that a. very rigid bar is provided adapted to withstand the compression strains to which connecting bars are subjected, while at the same time employing a modicum of metal, relatively speaking, commensurate with the strength necessary.

The various pin receiving holes 14: are

provided with suitable bearing members. preferably in the nature of case hardened bushings 17. The bushing shown in Figure 5 is in the nature of a. thiinble of relative thickness, being preferably somewhat heavier or thicker atone end as shown at 18, while the other end is somewhat thinner so as to snugly pass through the holes 14 in the ears or bifurcations 13 of the bar. The thimbles or bushings are inserted into the holes so as to bring the shoulder formed by .the enlarged end 18 up flush against the sides of the ears and preferably on the inner sides of the bifurcations as shown in Figure 5. The reduced or smaller end of the thimble is then upset or swaged outwardly to overlap the perimeter of the holes in the ears as shown at 19 in Figure 5, thereby firmly fastening or clamping the bushing in place.

As is apparent from shown, a comparatively bearing surface for the pin is provided, namely a surface of materially greater thickness than would be afforded by the bifurcations or ears themselves and therefore a surface adapted to withstand the wearing strains and stresses encountered between the pins and the connecting bar.

In Figure 8 I show a modified form of the bushing. consisting of a thimble or band of equal thickness throughout; which, aft-er having been inserted in the hole in the ears or bifurcations, preferably has the inner end turned over outwardly upon itself as shown at 20. The outer end of the band is then swaged outwardly about the perimeter of the hole in the ears as shown at 21 thereby firmly holding the bushing in place. This provides a bearing surface for the pin of materially greater width than the thickness the construction heavy and wide of the metal forming the connecting bar and its ears or bifurcations.

In Figure 9 I show another method of providing a wide bearing or bushing for the pins, consisting in a thimble of substantially the same initial formation of the bushing 17 shown in Figure .1 before the outer end was upset or swaged. The bushing 22 in Figure 9, instead of having the reduced or thinner end swagcd, is externally thrcadcd as shown at 23 and the car or bifurcation of which only a portion is shown at 2st is provided with a tapped or threaded opening adapted to receive the threaded end of the bushing 22, which may be screwed into place after the bar has been completely formed.

\Vith all of the constructions shown and described it is apparent that a greater bearing surface is not only provided for the pins, but these bearing surfaces or bushings may all be removed after becoming worn beyond a desirable degree and new bushings of similar type inserted thereby obviating the necessity of renewing the bar itself. As a result the working life or usefulness of the connecting bar is greatly enhanced and a material saving in labor and expcnseobtained.

In Figure 7 the construction and formation of the connecting bar 10 is substantially the same as that previously described. except that the ends 13 are offset or bent at an angle to the axis of the body portion to meet certain requirements and the ends are shown provided with a, lesser number of pin receiving holes although any desired number may be employed, which. however, are provided with my improved bearing surfaces or bushings, which may be either of the types shown and described.

The blank or cut sheet of metal, of which a. portion or one end is shown in Figure 4. has its marginal edges bent or flanged as shown at 1.3 and 16 and the flanged sheet is then bent into the channel formation shown with the longitmlinal flanges 1.1 spaced the same distance apart. snbstantiaL 1y, throughout the length of the bar; with the base or intermediate portion of the chain ncl preferably slightly dished or concavcd as shown at 25 in Figure 6. Forming the base of the channel in the manner shown prevents undue strain of the metal while forming, while at the same time providing the strength and rigidity of a beam construction adapted to withstand compression strains.

The constriwtions illustrated are believed to be the simplest embodiments of my invention. but modifications are possible and may be made, without. however, departing from the spirit of my invention.

lVhat- I claim is:

A connecting bar, adapted to be secured in place by means of pins, formed of sheet luu ill-3 the car's being provided With registering pin recelvmg holes, and removable buslnngs of comparatively thick metal and of length 1 greater than the thickness of the sheetmetal inserted in said holes to provide large hearing surfaces for the connecting bar pins.

WILLIAM WRIGHT. 

